Why talk about fire safety

Fire risks

Fire safety is all about risk. The probability of a serious fire in any building may be low, but the potential consequences are enormous. ROCKWOOL insulation products are often used as a dedicated fire protection to parts of building structure and industrial equipment. Unwanted fire is a destructive force that causes many thousands of deaths and billions of dollars of property loss each year. People around the world expect that their homes and workplaces will be safe from the ravages of an unwanted fire.

Unfortunately, fires can occur in almost any kind building, often when least expected. The safety of the occupants depends on many factors in the design and construction of buildings, including the expectation that certain buildings and parts of buildings will not collapse in a fire or allow the fire to spread.

ROCKWOOL products contribute to fire safety in a multitude of ways:

Generally as a non-combustible core material, the contribution to the spread of fire is negligible or none.

ROCKWOOL insulation products are often used as a dedicated fire protection to parts of building structure and industrial equipment.

A legal requirement

Fire safety is primarily a legal requirement, or rather a set of legal requirements, laid down for almost all types of buildings.

The basic principles about fire safety are defined worldwide in a similar manner and typically comprise the elements which may be found as the basis for the European definition of fire safety, as outlined in the Construction Product Regulation of the European Union.

According to the European Construction Products Regulation, every building must be built so that:

It will not collapse for a specified time period

It will limit the generation and spread of fire and smoke

It will not spread fire to other buildings

It will enable escape or rescue of occupants

It will not possess threat to rescue teams

This definition covers fire development at different stages, as well as different fire scenarios under which buildings may be involved in a fire.

Like many other legal documents worldwide, the regulation is focused on saving human lives. Safe evacuation of people from a burning building is one of the most important elements. However it is possible only if the building itself is not a threat to evacuation or rescue operations, and it is definitely made easier if the other fire safety requirements listed above are taken into serious consideration.

Apart from universal legal approach demanding primarily human life safety, other approaches are possible, comprising protection of property, business operations, or vital industrial equipment. Safety from environmental damage during or after a fire is getting an ever increasing attention.

A non-combustible building structure is generally assumed not to contribute to the spread of fire and smoke.